Apparatus for treatment of hydrocarbons



w; F. RTTTMAN.

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT 0F HYDROCARBONS.

. APPLICATION 'FILED AUG. 3. 1917.

1,352,9 1 6. Patentedsept. 14, 1920.

Rl, L A

l I I /0 HMT/M #mm/a c//f/Mf/f off/7mm WITESSE INVENTOR Wwwf www l UNITEDFSTATESYPATENT ojl-IfICE` WALTER; F. RITTMATI, oF rITTsBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA'.

` APrAnATUs For;I TREATMENT or`- iTrDiftocAaBoNs.

rTo all whom t may concern:

Be it known, .that I, IVALTER F. RITTMAN, residing at Pittsburgh, in thecountyof Allegheny andl State Aof Pennsylvania, a citizen of the UnitedStates, Vhave invented or discovered certain new and useful Improve- ,ments in Apparatus yfor v.Treatment-of Hydrccarbons, of ,which improvements the following is a specification.. Experiencehas shown that changing hydrocarbons vhaving a high-.boiling point tov hydrocarbonsV having a lowerboiling point,

or to hydrocarbons suitable for` inotor fuel'- and gas supply purposes,l thatL those having boilingpoints above 600 degrees F., on being cracked,.disa ssociate so as to deposit much v morecarb'onthan those h aving boiling points 'below such.temperatures. Infother words,

when different ,boiling fractions of anyv given crude oilv areI cracked, .different conditions of the variables, as temperature',vpressure, etc., influencing chemical change, maybe necessary and likewisethe different Afractions would produce differentx percentages of ,products such as carbon. The quantities of carbon formed and deposited are of great ,importance in deciding whether .or not -a given procedure or method can be employed.

Otherwise, mechanical orjother means must be provided to remove'such carbonso as to not seriouslyv interfere with the operation.

The invention .described herein relates to apparatus adapted, in its broader scope, for

the treatment-.of hydrocarbons both above andbelow 600 F. and also as regards a specific Vform of such apparatus especially adapted for .the treatment` of hydrocarbons* below 600 F. YThe invention ishereinafter more fully described and claimed.

-ln the' accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional elevation of apparatus embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification of the lower portion of the form shown in Fig..1; 4Fig?) is -a partly sectional elevation ofa modified form of the apparatus and Fig. 4 is a similar. View illustrating a modified /forin of the uppei` portion of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

I In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. l, the retort 1 is arranged within a suitable heating chamber, whereby the walls of the retort may be raised toa temperature suiiiciently above the vaporizing temperature of `the oil to be treated so as' to effect'a lcracking of the vapors. As shown, the lower end lSpeciiieation of Letters Patent.

' atented Sept. v14, 41920.

. Application filed 'August 3, i917.l serial N. 184,232.

" ofthe retortextends below the' heatzing'chambei' and is connected by a pipe 2 to a suitable pump'or other s'ia'ce of supply, whereby the oil may be: forced vintofthe lower end of the retort underv suflicient pressure to4 maintain the desired height of the column of oil within the retort. In the forrn' vshown in Figpfl, a'sulicient quantity ofoil is forced into the lower'end of the retort to` providea'coluinn of such height that the upperfportion thereofwill lie' within the heating chamber and be subjected to sufficient heat to' eii'ect avery rapid y,vaporization of what might be termeda AZone ofoil'at lthefupper end of tl'ie column'foff greater or less thickness dependent uponv the distance lthe :upper'e'nd of the column extends up into .theretort As the vapors,l` are being-cracked,

vthey will' pass upwardly in" the'retort and enter the'upperend of a ltube v43 extending vup through the lower end ofthe .retort to a point adjacent '.to vthe vupper end thereof. f This tube or retort is'formed of a sufficient diameter relative -to the internal diameter of the retort to permit'of the'flow' ofvapors 'down along' the saine in quantities substantially equal -to the v,rate-of vapOriZatiH.

The lower end ofthe tube through whichthe -vapors escape from `the retort, is connected,A to a suitable segregation chamber, such las a condenser/L, where a separation' of the condensed' vapors, solids and fixed gasesis effected. i

In the `operation of this apparatus, only the upper portion of the liquid column in the retort, and that for a relatively small depth, will be suiiciently he'atedto `effect 'vaporizatop of the oil, there will'be substantially n o circulation of the liquid, but the heating thereof will be the result of'the upward 'movement of the body of oil in the heated retort. The principal cracking will occur in the retort, but as the tube,fjespecially the portion in the upper part of the retort, will have a temperature practically the same as that within vthe retort, cracking will con.

tinue as tube. f

'In'lieu ofin'aintaining a column of oil the vapors pass down ,through'the in the lwerportion `of the retort, the upper portion of 'such column extending up a suffi'- cient height into the heating. chamber as to be subjected to a 'vaporizing temperature,

the lower end of the retort may be arrangedwithin the heatingchamber' and a number vaporizing temperatureand vthe oil fed inof balls 5 ormed ofnietal or other suitable refractory' material, may be arranged-within the lower end and the oil fed onto the balls in such quantity relative to' the surface of the balls that an instantaneous?vapor-ization will occur. Or if desired, a -basket containing these balls may be arranged within the retort at a point where it is subjected to a as shown 1n Ifig. 1, so that the upper portion of the oil will come into contact with these highly heated balls and be instantaneously vaporized.

The form of apparatus shown in Figs.v l and 2 is` especially adapted for use in treatment of hydrocarbons havinga boiling point treatment of which only7 a comparatively small amount ofA carbon will be formed, the vaporizing and cracking temperatures being relatively lowerin treating oils below such boiling point'. Some carbon will inevitably be formed and adhere to the sides of the retortfrom which it can be recovered by means known in the art or will drop do n into the column of oil at the lower end o the retortso that it lwill be'necessary from time to time to stop the operation of the retort and to -blow oi the oil in the lower end which has been clogged with carbon, through a pi e 6. In the form of apparatus `shown inv igs.

3 and 4;,.a'retort 1s arranged verticall 4 in av heating chamber, the retortpreferab y extending-beyond the chamber at its upper end and lower end, as shown. The lower end of this retort is'connected by. a pipe 7 to a tank or shell 8 such vfor example as a condenser in which a segregation of the c ondensable vapors, liquids and solids,'passing from the retort l from the fixed gases, may be effected. A tube 9 projects up through the lower end of the retort to a point'adj acent to the upper end of the latter, the upper end of the-tube being openv for the passage of liquid into the retort.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the'upperportion of the tube 9 is'provided with a plurality of small orifices l0, so that the liquid passing up through the tube will be projectedl in small streams or sprays against the highly Aheated sides of the retort and throughsuch contact will be practically instantaneously- .hydrocarbons, the combination of a substantiallyvertical tubular retort, a tube extending upwardly into said retort, the tube and hydrocarbons, the combination of a substantransformed into a vapor, which passing down through the retort outside of-'the tube will be cracked and the product resulting from such cracking will iow down into the segregating chamber 8. Suitable 'means are vprovided for at the lower end of' the tube 9 l whereby the liquid hydrocarbons mayv be I claim herein as my inventlon:

l. In an apparatus for the treatmentl of retort being .constructed and arranged to leave an unobstructed annular chamber therebetween, the portion of the tube within Vthe 'retort having openings for the passage of fluids,means-for feeding the hydrocarbon 4to be treated into the lower portion of one of the foregoing. members, means for maintaining vaporizing andcracking temperatures within the retort, and means or segregating the .products of cracking connected to theother member.

2. In an apparatusA for the treatment of tially vertical tubular retort, a tube extending upwardly into Asaid retort and having an opening' adjacent to the upper end of the retort for flow of liquid thereinto, the tube `and retort being constructed and arranged 90 to leave an unobstructed annular chamber therebetween, the portion of the tube within rthe retort having openings orthe passage of liuids, means for feeding the hydrocarbon l to be treated into the jloweit'portion of 9S -the retort, means for'maintaining vaporizing and cracking-temperatures vwithin the retort, and meansforp-segregating the products of cracking connected to the other member.

In testimony IwhereoLfI have hereunto set 100 estv endl

v fed thereuntothrough a pipe 12 by a pump or other suitable supply under pressure. below 600 F. as herembefore stated, in the 

